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Bonzai Playdate (block)
Bonzai Playdate was a programming block on the Bonzai Network television channel, seen on weekday mornings. It was aimed at young children from 2-6 years old, and owned by Bonzai Television Network, LLC., a subsidiary of BritCan Communications. The block shut down on June 26, 2017. History As BonBon (2006-15) From the morning of April 3, 2006, onwards, the BonBon ''brand was in place and in use, with an approximate five-hour portion of the Bonzai Network broadcast day, at 7 a.m. –12 p.m. EST every weekday. Much of the lineup, particularly early in this time period, was devoted to animated series, many of which were of foreign origin (''Bellfower Bunnies, Bottle Top Bill, Firehouse Tales, The Forgotten Toys, Franny's Feet, Kangaroo Creek Gang, Kipper, Maisy). Programming of both live action and puppeted preschool programming also appeared during this time. Many of the bumpers/network IDs were produced by VideoWorks Inc. In 2008, BonBon expanded its hours, now airing from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST. Around this time, more board-appeal preschool programming, mainly imported series, became widely available in the block. A summer morning block, BonBon Summer Weekdays, also aired during the months of June-August. The summer block was discontinued in 2010. During the years of 2014 and 2015, the block slowly began to dissolve, due to the BonBon channel was re-branded as Bonzai Jr. as well as Bonzai Network's expansion of programming. As Get Set for Life on Bonzai (August-September 2015) The BonBon block was re-branded as Get Set for Life on Bonzai on August 17, 2015. The rebrand brought upon a major overhaul, both in aesthetic appearance and presentation. Similar to the PBS Kids Preschool Block, the block was now hosted by teachers, which included Miss Carnahan, Miss Rosaline, Mr. Malone, and Mr, Buckley, and a computer-generated dog named Ringo. The rebrand was proven unsuccessful among many viewers, with declining ratings and large amounts of criticism. This ultimately may have been the deciding factor in Bonzai’s decision to relaunch the block under the Bonzai Jr. moniker. As Bonzai Jr. (September 2015-March 2017) The'' Bonzai Jr. brand was launched on September 7, 2015 with the Bonzai Jr. original premieres of ''Freddy's Firehouse, The Cup-Sized Adventures of Muffin Man, and Meteor Max, along with various other acquisitions, mainly sourced from the UK preschool channel CBeebies, as part of a programming deal with the Bonzai Jr. channel and block. With an initial run from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. EST every weekday, the block later expanded its airtime to 3 p.m. EST following an expansion of programming; series seen only on the Bonzai Jr. channel such as Dan & Dana (as well as its spin-off Dan & Dana's Playschool), Molly's Valley, and Pups: Big Adventures of Tiny Dogs ''were now featured on the block, as well as interstitial segments. '''As Bonzai Playdate (March-June 2017)' At a February 2017 upfront, Bonzai Jr. was slated to be re-branded once again as Bonzai Playdate. The block relaunched on March 6, 2017 featuring the same programs, but with a new look. The new branding featured a type of animation called "photo-puppetry" and utilized it with aspects of Bonzai Network's current branding to create a new form. On June 26, 2017, Bonzai Playdate went off the air, as the block along with its previous iterations usually aren't shown during the summer months (to make room for the Summer Splash block). However, three days later on June 30, 2017, Hanshiro Aino of BritCan Communication's "Kids and Family" division reported that Bonzai Playdate will not be returning after the summer months, as Bonzai Network has had a recent expansion of programming along with the fact that the mainstream Bonzai Jr. channel has been the recent home for all of its original preschool series.Category:BritCan Communications Category:Bonzai Jr. Category:Programming Blocks Category:Bonzai Network